The Interlude
by kimah36
Summary: This is a collection of one shots about the TMNT gang, and the stuff they get up to at April's family farm house. Fluff, a little romance, some mature stuff. Each one shot is rated separately. These short stories will bridge 'Enter the Purple Dragons' to the next multi-chapter story in the series. (MikeyxApril)(LeoxOCxDonnie?) implied Leorai.
1. Girl Time and Sisterly Bonding

**Girl Time and Sisterly Bonding**

 **Rating: T** \- For some sensitive subject matter

* * *

"Are you sure they're not in there?" April asked peeking around in the darkness around the back porch. Asha had made it almost across the backyard to the barn. She turned and beckoned impatiently.

"Would you come on goofball? They're around the side in the Shell Raiser. The NBA finals are on, nothing else exists right now, you know that," Asha said as she pranced the rest of the way to the barn. April crept around the side of the house and looked. Sure enough the Shell Raiser rocked on its springs as apparently somebody scored a touchdown, or a home run or whatever happened in basketball. She heard the brother's voices clamoring over one another. From the sound of it, Raph was about to lose some bet to Mikey and he wasn't about to hear the end of it. Even Donnie was taunting him, obviously in on the bet.

Comforted by the knowledge that the turtles would be busy for at least a little while, she made her own way into the barn. Asha had turned on the overhead light, and was setting up her iPod and a speaker. She had on some tall heels that April thought of only as stripper heels, some very short shorts, and a slouchy crop top with a sports bra underneath. By contrast April looked down at herself and frowned a little. She was overdressed in sneakers, jogging pants, and a sweatshirt. Asha turned to her frowning a bit herself, she must have thought the same thing.

"See I knew you would come in here dressed like a suburban soccer mom. You're too young for that April," she said marching over to her and handing her a very small piece of material.

"Mmm, and what am I supposed to do with this Asha? Blow my nose?" April asked examining the fabric, only to find it was supposed to be apparel of some sort. Asha crossed her arms disapprovingly.

"They're booty shorts. Young women with nice bodies like ours wear them from time to time. You know, booty shorts aka daisy dukes? Any of that ring a bell smarty pants?" Asha teased snatching the shorts then waving them in April's face, as April fought her off until both of them were giggling like school girls.

"Okay, okay goodness gracious, you're so bossy," April playfully complained as she went to a corner to put them on.

"Just do it and come on while they're still distracted," Asha said as she started the music. Spiders by System of a Down filled the barn. Asha started to move to the music, slow and sexy.

"Ooh are you gonna teach me some of that?!" April asked excitedly as she came back to where Asha was moving around the pole.

"Sure, I'll teach you a few transitions and a little floor work. Give Mikey something to watch tonight," Asha said, not turning to look at a beet red April.

"Ashaaaa," April whined, pushing Asha a little bit.

"Oh girl please, we know you two are freaky as hell. Especially Mikey's little nasty butt. He play innocent, but we all know better," Asha said before lifting into a lazy slow spin.

"Oh he is so not innocent at all. You really have no idea how not innocent he is," April said chuckling to herself about it. Asha stopped with her hand on her hip and looked at her friend.

"How are they? I mean like, how are they in bed?" Asha asked suddenly a bit shy about the subject matter. April was a little surprised but not much. She was expecting such a question from the only other love interest in their tight knit circle. She thought about it before answering.

"Well it's certainly very different, from the human men you've been with," April said, trying to mimic some of the moves Asha was doing a minute ago.

"Oh," Asha said. She moved back to the pole, this time going into an invert and sliding down. April waited on her to say more, but then it dawned on her. She'd never thought about it before. She had no reason to think about it, but it occurred to her that Asha may not have a whole lot of experience in that area. She might even be…

"Asha, may I ask a personal question sweetheart?"

"Yeah, sure go ahead." She stood but still moved a bit to the song as it faded out and the next one began. It was Nutshell by Alice in Chains.

"Asha how many boyfriends have you had besides Leo?" Asha bit her lip. April had never seen her be vulnerable or shy, so it was a pleasant surprise to see. It was easy to forget that Asha was still nineteen, her birthday having not come up yet.

"Just one."

"And did you…have you ever…you know?" April asked trying not to be offensive but wanting to know so badly. She was always super nosy, it made her a good reporter.

"No," it was so small April barely heard it. It was only because Asha was shaking her head that she even knew that she had said no.

"Is that a bad thing?" Asha asked suddenly worried that perhaps April thought it was lame. What if she told Leo that she was a virgin and _he_ thought it was lame?

"No, not at all. Not very common this day and age, but certainly not bad. I actually think it's sort of refreshing in a way. There's a sort of innocence in that. Which is odd to me actually," April said. Asha knew exactly why it seemed odd. She'd thought about it herself on many occasions.

"Yeah it is a little sketchy. I mean I can take a head off in 2 seconds flat and not lose sleep, but I've never done more than kiss a boy…badly I might add," Asha had to laugh at herself about that.

"So okay, since you've never done that, where does all this come from?" April said motioning towards Asha herself, including the pole and the sexy getup. Asha looked down at herself and smiled brightly.

"Maxine. I call her Mighty Max, and she's my best friend in the whole world since grade school. She's the one that taught me how to be sexy," Asha was smiling at the memory of her friend.

"What happened to her? Where is she?" April asked afraid of the answer.

"I left her behind when I came here looking for Rocksteady. I knew I was gonna get into some bad stuff, and even though Mighty Max is a werewolf, she's not violent and not a fighter. I couldn't drag her into this. I couldn't even tell her where I went, because she would have insisted and I couldn't allow that," Asha said. Her shoulders slumped a bit, then suddenly she perked up and smiled at April.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up sad things," she said. Asha nudged her playfully.

"It's okay. Now that I'm done with all that foot clan stuff, I'm gonna try to get back in contact with her," Asha paused for a second. "Well, let's get this show on the road. The first thing we gotta do is get some rhythm into you, you dance like a white girl..."

"…."

Then they both fell over laughing.


	2. The Death and Resurrection of Karai

**The Death and Resurrection of Karai**

 **Rating: T** \- I'm just paranoid at this point.

* * *

I died. So many times over, I had died. I spit in his face. _His_ face. He stabbed me, and then he pitied me and for the longest I hated him for it. I hated him for not hating me.

The noises all around me faded away. I utilized a most dangerous technique. Oroku Saki taught me as a little girl, that if someone seemed as if they would kill me, or if I had no other alternative, that I should 'die' so that they would not have a need to make sure I was dead. It became second nature, and the most dangerous aspect was that real death was more than a small possibility. So, on instinct I slowed my breathing almost to a complete stop, my heartbeat was slowed as well which weakened my pulse until it could hardly be felt. They say that if performed with perfection, not even modern medicine could detect the deceit. I had no need for that level of mastery. I needed only to fool him, and Shredder.

In the irony to top all ironies, it was the slowing of my heart that saved my life. Leonardo had pierced my abdominal aorta, so slowing my heart kept me from bleeding to death. However I had lost a lot of blood. I was cold, and in my final moments of consciousness, I felt myself being moved and knew that they believed me deceased.

I don't know how long I was out. It could have been days or even weeks, I didn't know. All I know is that I dreamed. I dreamed of my life as the daughter of one of the most evil men I had ever known. I dreamed of that night in Manhattan that had so irrevocably changed my fate, but mostly I dreamed of Leonardo. His eyes haunted me. I dreamed about the nights on the water tower. I dreamed about the first time he smiled at me.

I never had to wait for him, he was always early. I was wearing a blue kimono, my hair in a simple bun, my makeup minimal. He was waiting for me this time with a bit of food. It could have almost been deemed a picnic, but I knew that it was a peace offering, an olive branch if you will.

"Oyasumi nasai, Karai, (good evening/ how are you this evening? Karai)" Leo said, looking up at her. For the first time not having his weapon drawn or at least his hand on its pommel.

"Genki desu, arigato Leonardo-san, (I am fine, thank you Leonardo)" she said as she gave a polite traditional bow. Karai came towards him, and he held out his hand to help her graciously sit across from him. He simply had some fruit and a traveling mug of what appeared to be cold water. Even at night it was hot, so the water was very welcomed by her when he offered it. He popped a few grapes in his mouth before pushing the small container towards her. He wasn't quite smiling, but had a pleasant look on his face.

"Have you decided finally?" He asked. He never minced words or wasted time. It was almost like talking to Shredder, only without the underlying malevolence.

"I want to come with you. I know that your family will find it hard to accept me, but I don't have to come with you to your home. I can lay low for a while longer. As long as you accept me, Leo," She batted her eyes, and then dropped her lids, just as he liked. She was close now, closer than she'd ever been to being accepted into their group. Her mission was nearly complete, so she needed to be more careful than ever for this was the most precarious part of the mission. If he discovered her treachery now, he would kill her without asking questions.

That's when he did it, he smiled. It was fleeting, but it happened. It was liking capturing a glimpse of a rare but lovely animal, one that you know will change your perception of beauty if it revealed itself in full, but it hides itself just out of sight.

I decided then that I wanted to see that beauty in all its glory all the time, or at least as often as I could. Unfortunately, years of loyalty to the Foot, my own callousness and rejection of love and kindness, and my treacherous love for my father caused him to want to kill me instead. I had done my job, I had deceived and betrayed him, but it felt as if what was left of my heart had been torn to pieces. That's why I made such a desperate and foolish plan. I knew it would fail, but I didn't care anymore. I had managed to push away the potential of forgiveness, acceptance, validation, and love and I couldn't handle it. I could handle neither having those things, nor losing them.

When I did regain consciousness, I knew exactly where I was. The strong odor of formaldehyde assaulted me immediately, as well as the peculiar scent of Stockman's aftershave. I was in the morgue of the labs in Brooklyn. The worst place I could possibly be. I began to panic. Does Shredder know I'm alive? Where is that slime Stockman? Why can't I move? Then I heard footsteps, and I calmed myself. It was Stockman. I had better not be a mutant. I felt him stand over me, looking me over, probably with that stupid toothy grin on his face.

"I know you're awake Karai. Don't worry no one knows you're alive except you and I. The surgeon who fixed you is dead, I made sure of that. He was hell bent on reporting it to Shredder, but I realized if you had gone through this much trouble you were probably trying to _avoid_ him," he said. I opened my eyes to see him, toothy grin intact. He touched my hair, my face, then checked an I.V drip he had going in me.

"Don't worry about this. I had been working on a refined version of the mutagen your father loves so much. This heals without mutating, wonderful isn't it?" He said smiling down at me, my stomach did a slow lurch. "The other thing is a muscle relaxant. I needed to make sure that when you woke up, you wouldn't leave or be able to kill me. I didn't give you too much, I've been minding your heart rate. I don't know how you did it, but you survived a wound that would have killed anyone. Thankfully, the refined mutagen works wonders. It's been a week since the surgery. You've pretty much fully recovered from it. Only a small scar remains."

He left for a while, maybe an hour or so. During that time I got feeling back in my body and I could move again. I struggled to sit up, but was relieved I could do even that. I tried to stand, but my legs were nothing. My muscles had weakened severely for lack of use. I looked at the bag of so-called refined mutagen and frowned. I guess nothing could replace real physical therapy. So I began right then and there, just flexing my hands back and forth. Closing and opening my fists.

Stockman returned, this time with a tray of food. Only when I saw it did my stomach growl. I was famished.

"It's only a bit of hot water with a packet of instant oatmeal, apple juice, and a bit of toast. Nothing too heavy, you haven't had solid food in a while," he said placing the tray on a side table and pushing it towards me.

"How long have I been here?" I asked. My throat hurt to speak and my tongue felt like it was glued permanently to the roof of my mouth. He pretended to think about it.

"It's been about three months now."

My eyes widened in shock, as I tried again in vain to get off of the gurney I was laid on.

"He doesn't know you're alive. When they brought you here, we all thought you were dead. He came to make sure it was really you, he even checked your pulse, and when he confirmed for himself that you were no longer alive, he left without a word," Stockman was saying. "We buried some other unfortunate soul in your place so that he wouldn't become suspicious about it." His eyes had taken on a faraway look, as if he were recalling something disturbing or confusing.

"He grieved for you Karai, inasmuch as he could grieve. He has become even colder, sterner, and fiercer in his hatred for the turtle mutants, more unpredictable," Stockman said, moving around the area now, cleaning things away. I guessed he was getting rid of the evidence of what he had done, was doing.

"He, grieved for me?" I asked, completely shocked. Stockman stopped what he was doing and looked at me curiously.

"Yes, as much as he could. In his own Shredder way he did. He's killed more servants and foot clan underlings since you 'died' than he ever has before."

I smiled in spite of myself. Yes, he was in grief. He had never really shown me a lot of love or attention outside of training, but I guessed on some level he missed me. I gobbled down my food as hot as I could withstand it, then pushed the tray forcefully out of my way.

"When did you know? If even fath—Shredder was fooled, how is it that you were not?" I asked, curious as to what lie he would tell me about it. He came around to look me in the face as he spoke.

"I was fooled. It was only when I began to perform an autopsy…for my own purposes, did I realize you were indeed living. I cut you, and you gasped," he said pointing at my sternum. "I was going to examine your heart, but when I cut you, you reacted to it. From that point, you were my little secret. It was only about a day, little more than 24 hours from the time you received your wounds, to the time I discovered your little ruse."

"I need to leave, right now," I had never spoken truer words. I was disturbed on a multitude of levels, not least of which Stockman was using me as a guinea pig 'for his own purposes'. He chuckled a bit at me, which made me angry to say the least.

"You can't leave. You can't even walk. However, you do remember the various training rooms around the facility yes?"

I nodded stiffly.

"Well then, you may use them of course when no one else is there. With the effects of the refined mutagen on you it won't take long for you to recover your strength. I will keep the secret as I have been doing, no one need be the wiser," he smiled again. I shuddered.

"What do you want in return?" I asked, knowing full well that Stockman didn't have an altruistic bone in his wretched little body. He sighed as if the weight of the world was always on his shoulders. I suppressed urge to roll my eyes right out of their sockets.

"Tyler Rockwell. He's a fellow scientist. I need a device that only he has, but it only works with him. The selfish twit won't tell its secrets, but that's alright. I just need him with me for a while," Stockman said, then shrugged as if it were a little trifle. He resumed cleaning around the lab.

"It'll take me some time, to be strong enough," I hated admitting weakness, especially to this worm. He shrugged again.

"I can wait, then you can be free to do whatever you wish."

* * *

It took a few weeks only to regain my former physical strength. Stockman was correct, it had to be the effects of the refined mutagen he'd administered to me. I found Dr. Rockwell and delivered him the old fashioned way, under pain of death. Stockman thanked me, and I was more than happy to be rid of him. I should have killed him on the spot, but I didn't want any suspicions to be aroused by his sudden untimely departure.

I roamed the city aimlessly. For the first time in my life that I could remember, I was without a family or clan to turn to. For all his callous nature, Shredder had provided me unfailingly with at least that much. I wanted to go to Leonardo, to run to him in fact, but that was impossible. He believed he had killed me and that was just as well, but I kept watch.

I watched as my father became personally active again in the dealings of the clan. I watched as he gathered the purple dragons together, for reasons that had been as yet unknown to me. I watched as he took over Sacks Industries and applied his own name, making it one of his biggest legitimate business fronts to date. I watched as Leonardo and his brothers did their best to stop them, but they had no idea the magnitude of his latest plans. I watched as that lion girl made it her personal business to flush out and kill every foot clan member she could find. In all truth I should have been joining her to eradicate the Foot, but it was really Shredder who was corrupting them. The Foot clan had once been honorable, and now were nothing more than an international cadre of criminals led by my fath—Shredder.

Then the world came tumbling down. I had been sleeping in shelters and on the streets when it happened. Whatever plans my, Shredder had, had finally come to fruition. The streets almost literally ran with blood. I was attacked more times than I could count, but they had run into the wrong ninja. They were doped up on some kind of concoction that made them strong and vicious, but I held them off. I killed as many of them as I could, and then hid as I became tired and they wouldn't stop coming.

On the second night, it wasn't much better. I came out of hiding in the abandoned building I had slept in, ready for anything. Then I saw him. I saw Shredder heading to his above ground headquarters in the old cathedral. Like a moth to a flame I followed, and wished I hadn't. I kept a good distance, not wanting to be discovered by anyone. I saw the turtles enter it and fight alongside the lion girl, I forgot her name if I ever knew it. I saw them leave, then return, then leave again that time for good. I saw Tiger Claw, whom my—Shredder spoke of vaguely. Then when everything seemed to have died down, I crept upon that rooftop and saw the horror that awaited me. It was Shredder, my father! He was getting his head separated from his body by none other than Setsuko, and predictably Kazuko was helping her. Every part of my being ached at the sight. Despite all the harm he had brought me in my life, I wanted to save him, but self-preservation stopped me. I couldn't reveal myself, not even in this moment. His lovers had turned on him, and some small part of me believed this was karma's hand at work. He was receiving no more than what he had given, and I was being punished as well for my part in it. I had blood on my hands too. So I watched it happen, determined to accept my small portion of hell.

When they were done, I sagged against the edge of the roof, gutted. I couldn't even cry. I made my way to ground level and began walking aimlessly, killing any in my path until I came to a manhole cover. I stood there, I don't know how long before I decided to go in. I didn't know what Leonardo would do, what his family would do to me if I found them or if they found me and I didn't care. I descended down into the darkness, ready to meet my real fate. If he killed me again, it would be for good this time.

I wandered for days down in the sewers. They had hidden their lair very well. Then, exhausted, hungry, thirsty, and weak, I found it. I disabled the camera I spied on the walls, and followed along that path. When I got to the entrance I stopped. They were gone, but I waited anyway for hours not moving a muscle, trying to control and quiet my breathing. Nothing. I went inside ready to be ambushed, but nothing happened. They seem to have packed some things, maybe left for a while although I could not for the life of me fathom where giant mutant turtles went when they weren't home.

I hid all the night, believing that they were merely on patrol, but then the rat was gone as well and that annoying reporter was also not around. I relaxed a bit. I rummaged through their kitchen, eating whatever I could find. I even ate some pop tarts I had found, although the icing was almost missing. Almost as if it had been licked off. I roamed the lair, amazed that they seemed to live so well. It was immaculately cleaned. The dojo area was beautiful and serene. I found each of their rooms, and then I found Leonardo's room. It had blue sheets on the bed, it was minimal and clean, and beautiful calligraphy lined the walls.

I sat on his bed, placed my head in my hands and cried. I cried for the loss of my one time father, I cried for the loss of my former life and self, I cried because I was truly lost and alone in the world, and I cried because even in the presence of his _things_ I was brought to peace.

After I had wiped the last of my tears, I began to look around his room careful not to mess anything up. I found a journal of sorts. It was an old worn leather journal, not bound by any locks. I knew I was invading his thoughts, but I had to read some of it. Maybe just the last few entries.

 _Konnichiwa,_

 _She is good to me, better than I deserve. She feeds me food from her hands, she cleans up after me, massages me after training, and she is obedient to me. I have no other word for that. Asha does what I ask of her with nary a complaint or foul word passed from her. I don't deserve that. Not from her, not while I cannot give her my whole heart…_

I stopped reading. So he had found another, the lion I guessed. Her name was Asha, a pretty name. Jealousy rolled around in my heart. He had spoken about not loving her fully. I had never imagined a giant turtle to have a love life, let alone one that could include more than one potential lover. I had to read more.

… _There is another that holds me captive although I cannot say why. She betrayed my trust, but she was also the first woman outside of April to have gained it. When she smiled at me, it was like a sunrise on the darkness of that water tower…_

I closed the book. I was both torn and delighted. No one met him on a water tower besides me. I knew that I had captured his attentions for real, but I had no idea about its lasting effects. I should not have been so blind. A creature such as Leonardo, would be taken by a woman who shows romantic interest in him, and seems not to mind his…condition. I had not been that woman, not in reality. However, this Asha girl she appeared to be the real thing. Not that she had much to complain about, after all she mutated in her own way.

I carefully placed his journal where I had found it. I returned to the bed, this time to sleep. I was wearied beyond belief. I did not know what they would do whenever they returned to find me here, but I would wait on them in any case. I slept. I dreamed. I dreamed of his smile. He had popped a few grapes in his mouth, before pushing the small container towards me.


	3. Skin Deep

**Skin Deep** \- 1st in LeoxAsha romance within this set of stories

 **Rating: T** \- not a lemon but certainly some form of citrus

* * *

Asha stared at herself in the floor length mirror. Outside, she could hear the jubilant sounds of everyone enjoying the pond. She had kept aside a bit of money although she had given most of it to Donnie. At the store, she purchased a swimsuit with the back out. She had intended to wear it as a sign that she wasn't self-conscious about the scars that now littered her body, but now that she could see it, the scars were ugly. The wounds that Rahzar had given her were healed completely, but the scars they left behind were long and hideous.

She heard a light knock on her door before Leo poked his head in.

"I came to see what the holdup was. You okay?" He said as he came all the way into the room. He gave Asha an up and down. He couldn't get enough of her honeyed skin tone, her ample breasts and butt, and her muscular frame. A smile found its way onto his face.

"I'm fine Leo," she said offering a small smile and reaching for a beach towel to cover herself with. Leo frowned a bit, and grabbed Asha gently by both her shoulders.

"Are you sure?" Leo looked into her eyes and saw self-doubt. Asha looked down at herself avoiding Leo's piercing stare. She crossed her arms in front of her at the same time touching Leo's hands.

"I'm ugly." It was such a matter of fact statement that it took Leo a bit by surprise. She sounded so sure about it.

"You're not ugly. What would make you say such a thing?" Leo was still holding her and waiting on her response.

"Just look at me. Look at all these scars I have. All of them are my fault too. I didn't have to try to be so big and bold all the time, trying to prove something to myself and I don't even know what it was I was trying to prove," Asha closed her eyes, not wanting to look at herself or Leo. He pulled her in closer to him. He lightly trailed his fingers along the scars on her back. She cringed, not wanting him to pay close attention to them.

"You're beautiful to me. I love your skin, I love your heart, your passion, your commitment to family," he pulled back to look into her eyes. "I love your commitment to me."

"You think so? You're not just saying that?" Asha asked needlessly. If there was one thing she was sure of, was that placating people with lies wasn't something that Leo did.

"I can prove it," he said as he turned her to face the mirror. Again, he traced the scars delicately with his large finger. He squatted down behind her, she leaned on his shell a bit with one hand. She was giggling a little as his touching was tickling her.

"Stop giggling, I'm trying to be romantic and serious," Leo said smiling and still touching her.

"I can't help it that I'm ticklish. Oh—" Asha sucked in a surprised breath as Leo kissed her back. He began to trail long, lingering, and soft kisses along the length of scars. One of his arms was around her waist, the other had stopped trailing her scars and had moved to her backside. He palmed one cheek gently as she let out another surprised yelp. It more than filled his large palm. She began to moan softly as the hand around her waist creeped up to grab one of her breasts. The thumb grazing over the small fabric.

"Leo…" her head lolled back and she closed her eyes. She felt the wide expanse of his tongue flicker across her back. She grabbed the edge of his carapace. Leo traced one long lick up her back until he reached her neck, where he gently nipped. With her back to his plastron, they were now facing the mirror together. His hands were on her waist.

"Did I prove how much those scars don't bother me?" He whispered huskily in her ear.

She nodded her head vigorously as she smiled up at his reflection, her hands over his as she relaxed into his embrace.

"You ready to go down to the pond now, and show off this awesome body of yours?" He said as he kissed her hair. It smelled of coconuts.

"Yes please," she said smiling. He let her go and she put her flip flops on as they headed out the door and to the pond hand in hand.


	4. The Lion and The Turtle

**The Lion and The Turtle -** 2nd in LeoxAsha series **  
**

 **Rating: K+**

* * *

Leo and Asha sat on the small beach and watched as Raph, Mikey, Donnie, and Splinter had a swimming contest. Leo had no idea rats were such excellent swimmers. Splinter had beaten them badly with best out of five, then best out of seven. Donnie was always second, his lean body cutting easily through the water, which did nothing for Raph's ego or his temper. Since it was Sensei, he took it all in stride.

The sun started to dip below the treetops, sending red and gold ribbons across the western horizon.

"I'm starved! Dinner a la Mikey will be served in about an hour," Mikey declared, jumping out of the pond and flinging water in Leo's face as he passed by. Leo glared after him and wiped the water away, but otherwise not going after him. He flung some water in Raph's face too, and promptly got chased into the house. Splinter was last out of the pond, toweling himself off until his fur puffed out all around his swim trunks. For the first time in months he was walking without a pronounced limp. Leo, Donnie, and Asha silently looked after him as he entered the house. They all looked at each other, surprised to find they all had the same look of relief on their faces. He looked like the hail and healthy master the brothers remembered.

"Don't be too late if you two want anything to actually eat when Mikey's done. You know how he and Raph are," Donnie said as he passed by and disappeared into the warm light of the large country kitchen.

Alone now on the small beach Leo grabbed Asha's hand and held it in his lap. She had covered herself in her beach towel, as the temperature seemed to drop as the sun set. Leo was just looking at her, studying her face.

"What did you think of me the first time you met me?" The question she asked was so out of the blue, Leo just blinked a couple of times before he realized what she asked him.

"You want the honest answer to that question?" He gave her a sideways glance. She looked him straight in the face and nodded her head. He seemed to think about that for a moment.

"I was thinking you might be working for the foot clan to be honest," he said.

"The foot clan?" Asha was incredulous.

"I didn't know what else to think, I had never met another mutant, or shifter in your case. I was also thinking that if you made a wrong move you were toast," he said looking out over the pond.

"Oh please, you would have been in a hell of a fight," Asha said amused at the memory and playfully punching Leo in the arm. He moved with the playful hit, a smirk on his lips.

"That may have been so, but that's what we were thinking. I introduced myself just to see what you would do. I was also…curious I guess," he admitted.

"Hmm, that's interesting I suppose. Can't say I blame you. Were your other brothers as wary as you were?"

"Well, Mikey liked you instantly, but then Mikey likes anybody that he doesn't think is associated with the Foot pretty much. Raph hated your guts, I was indifferent, and Donnie was smitten," he said not taking his eyes away from the shimmering surface of the pond.

Asha sat still, her arm interlaced with his. She absorbed that for a moment. She had mistakenly allowed herself to believe that Leo wasn't as perceptive as he was, especially in the matter of his brothers and their feelings.

"He might still be smitten with you. It's my fault mostly," he continued, finally looking down at her as she turned her face up to meet his gaze.

"Donnie isn't smitten with me," she offered weakly. It felt untrue as it left her lips. Leo snorted.

"Yes he is. I've seen the way he looks at you, the way he treats you. When I was…in my own head, I considered just stepping back all the way and letting, whatever you two were building with each other just play out," he said, unlatching their arms, and then snaking it around her waist to pull her closer.

"What stopped you from doing that?" Asha asked, curious about this new information. Leo thought for a moment.

"I couldn't let you go. I couldn't give up on being happy with you. There's something about you that, I don't know, I'm just attracted to it."

A long few minutes passed without them speaking to each other. The silence wasn't awkward like it probably should have been.

"What would you have done if I had chosen Donnie? Or not chosen either of you?"

"Lived with it, no matter how much that would have hurt me."

Another stretch of silence.

"Leo, I need you to know something. You may or may not have thought about it, but I think you have," Asha turned his face to her, determined to speak this while looking in his eyes.

"Donnie and I, we've never done anything…inappropriate. I just wanted you to know that," Asha told him. There seemed to be the slightest look of relief in his eyes. Of course he'd thought about it. He smiled at her. She couldn't help but feel like it was a small gift she received every time he offered it.

Neither of them spoke or really even moved until Mikey hollered for them from the kitchen.

"Come on, let's eat," Leo said, stretching as he stood and gathering their towels off the sand. Once Asha was standing he grabbed her hand and led her inside. The smell of Mikey's homemade hamburger helper filled the air and mingled with the laughter of their family.


	5. Sweet Dreams

**Sweet Dreams** \- 3rd in LeoxAsha series

 **Rating: T**

* * *

"Donnie, yes," Asha said breathlessly as she writhed beneath him. He leaned down and kissed her soft lips again. She was as eager as he was. Her tongue darting between parted lips, her hands all over his shoulders and arms and neck, her legs on either side of him inviting him in.

"Asha, I love you so much," Donnie said as he ground his lower plastron against her body. He planted feverish desperate kisses on her mouth. He wanted to devour her right then, but he had to know.

"Why? Why did you come to me?" He asked, longing for her to proclaim her undying love for him. Her amber eyes centered him.

"Because, I wanted to know...are you coming up for breakfast?" Her eyes quizzical as she inexplicably receded into the very bed they shared.

"What?!" Donnie became worried, he grabbed for her but his hands went through her. He was about to scream when he heard her ask again, this time from the door.

"Donnie, you coming up or do I need to drag you out to eat?" Asha asked through the door. She heard some shuffling then a loud thump as something heavy hit the floor. Did he just fall out of the bed?

"Ow, coming!" Donnie called as he rubbed his side. How the hell do you fall out if a king sized bed? His hand flopped desperately on the night stand for his glasses.

"Are you...okay in there?" Asha asked with just a smidge of worry around the edges of her voice.

"Yeah sure, why wouldn't I be okay? I mean you did startle me out of a deep sleep, but that wouldn't cause any damage to me one way or another," Donnie babbled on. Finally, he found his glasses and hastily put them on. "However there have been studies done about the effect of premature, uhh, waking on the memory. Well really on the brain in general..." Donnie stood and headed to open the door which caused him to pass the mirror. Upon glancing at his reflection in this mirror he discovered he had no bottoms on. In horror, he rushed back to the bed, snatched off the sheet and wrapped it around him like a toga. Well, it looked more like he had scrounge around in a pile of sheets and one just happened to stick, but it would have to do. The whole time he never stopped talking.

"...but they found that rats who had been awakened several times in a night..." he stopped. She was pretty. Her usually wild hair was somewhat tamed in a very curly, afro he thought they were called. Large silver hoop earrings, a white tank (he hated referring to them as wife beaters), and jeans that fit her so well...

He leaned in the doorway with his hands on the top of the door jamb, just like Raph does and he always made it look so cool.

"Hey Donnie,"

"Hey Asha,"

Shook her head and smiled into a slight face palm.

"Why are you wearing a makeshift toga?" He looked down at himself. How long had he known her? Yet here he was making a complete fool of himself, trying to impress a girl he had no business trying to impress.

"I look ridiculous don't I?" He was blushing. She shook her head no.

"Go ahead, you can laugh it's okay. I'm used to it," he said. He was smiling but she could see the embarrassment reading in the flicker of his eyes, and the lowering of his voice.

"Have I told you that I think your gap is very cute?" Asha asked. Switching gears always did wonders for Donnie when a conversation became awkward. His tongue touched at the empty space, then he smiled confidently.

"You think so?"

"I know so. Now come on up and eat, the food's getting cold," she headed back upstairs.

He just stood there, straightening his posture. How did Raph manage to do that without developing some form of hernia?

The realization of the truth welled up in his heart, and would not be denied its dwelling place. He loved her. He didn't sort of like her, it wasn't platonic, he wasn't just vibing as Mikey called it, he loved her.

Donnie chided himself for the thought alone. Then he thought about how much he wanted to make love to her, then chided himself for that thought too. Then he thought about the depth of his love for her, how he could have allowed himself to feel that way, and also if Leo's love could match it, and that warranted an all-out upbraiding. He knew his brother. Donnie knew Leo loved her, but he also knew that part of his heart was and always would be unavailable to Asha. Karai held the other part of Leo's heart.

Donnie cleared his head and went upstairs. The short staircase still held the lingering scent of toasted coconuts.

* * *

 **A/N: This is indeed the third installment in a series involving Leo and Asha in their relationship. Interesting, that Donnie has found his way into this tale.**

 **By the way, the first two are Skin Deep, and The Lion and The Turtle. Very short so far, but it'll get to some good stuff in a bit.**


	6. Workout Plan 1: Warm Ups

**Workout Plan 1: Warm Ups**

 **Rating: T**

* * *

It was early, before breakfast even when April rolled over to find the other side of the bed empty. She felt around blindly with her hand before opening one eye to look around.

"They're up already? Don't they ever take a break?" She groaned as she got up. She made her way to the bathroom. April took a quick shower and went downstairs where she found Splinter and Asha sitting at the kitchen table.

"Why is everyone up so early? Don't you know we're on vacation? That means stay up all night then sleep all morning, you guys need to learn vacation rules or something," April complained slightly, although her voice was chipper. She poured herself a cup of coffee.

Splinter was smiling at her over the rim of a hot cup of tea.

"Good morning April. Did you rest well?"

"I sure did. How's your knee?" She asked as she took a seat. Splinter smiled as he absently rubbed it.

"It's much better now that I'm not in the damp confines of the sewer."

"Good, good. So, where're the guys?"

Asha lifted a brow. "You can't hear it?"

April listened. Sure enough she could faintly hear music coming from the barn.

"Workout?"

"Workout."

"And you're not out there with them?" April asked Asha. She got an incredulous look on return.

"I'm not going out there. I went into that barn and entered a strange turtle man-cave environment, and I backed out of there slowly," Asha said laughing a little. Splinter sighed, he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"What?" April asked laughing now herself.

"Come on let's go on out there so you can witness it for yourself," Asha grabbed a muffin that Mikey had baked the day before, as her and April made their way to the barn.

As they approached they could hear very loud music playing. Aloe Blacc's I'm the Man was blasting through the air, and all the brothers were singing along.

Leo and Raph were weightlifting, while Donnie was doing one of those undulating rope exercises, with the two very thick and long cables attached to the far wall. Mikey was busy doing one-armed push-ups. None of the brothers acknowledged the two women watching them from the doorway. April stood with her mouth hanging open. Asha wasn't lying, this was a man cave times a hundred.

"You can't beat me Leo, just give it up!" Raph called over to his brother. They were side by side laying on makeshift weight benches, apparently having some type of contest.

"Just…keep…thinking…that," Leo was grunting with every lift. Raph on the other hand was smooth and steady. Asha thought this was one contest Leo wasn't going to win. She shook her head at the spectacle and made her way over to Donnie, while April went to cheer Mikey on. He promptly begged her to get on his back while he did push-ups. It was cute how he still wanted to impress her. She giggled and climbed onto his shell.

Donnie was so deep in concentration, that he almost hadn't noticed Asha watching him. He was singing the lyrics to the song as he worked out, and to her surprise he had a decent singing voice. It was deeper than his speaking voice and quite pleasant.

"H-hey Asha," he said adjusting his mask since he wasn't wearing his glasses at the moment. He stopped working with the ropes and stood up straight.

"Hey Donnie. You don't have to stop, I like watching you guys," she said lightly punching him in the arm to make him keep going.

"You like watching me work out?" he chuckled a bit as he asked.

"Yeah, especially since I hardly ever see you doing it. I figure you had to get some exercise in at some point. Although you're obviously not as crazy as those two nutjobs," She said pointing over her shoulder at Raph and Leo who had now gotten into a contest of who can jump rope the longest. Donnie glanced back over at his brothers, smiled and shook his head.

"I don't think anybody is as crazy as those two," Donnie said starting the ropes back up again. Asha left him to it as she walked back over to Raph and Leo, who had now been joined by Mikey, the self-proclaimed jump rope champion of the world.

"I've got this in the bag. You two should just sit back and watch the master," Mikey gloated, eliciting a groan from both his older brothers.

"Can it Mikey before I kick your ass," Raph threatened casually.

"Get angry with me, you should not, my young padawan," Mikey said in his best Yoda impression.

"Oh lord, now look what you've done Raph," Leo complained. "He's gonna do that the whole time we're here now. Raph's eyes got big as he completely stopped jumping rope to somewhat get into Leo's face.

"It ain't my fault he's an idiot!" Raph yelled, pointing his finger at a smug Michelangelo, who simply continued jumping rope and winning since both his brothers had stopped in order to argue.

"Well you should at least try not to encourage him then," Leo retorted, already surrendering the slight argument.

"Do, or do not, there is no try," Mikey said still skipping rope with his eyes closed and a grin on his face.

"Shut up Mikey," both his brothers yelled, even more upset to realize they had lost the little competition. Raph looked disgusted for a second before turning to Leo.

"I still kicked your ass in weightlifting though. You ain't never gonna win that," he said sitting back down on the bench and readjusting the weights for his leg exercises.

"Whatever, but I got you on this next set of reps though," Leo said, sitting down and doing the same thing as Raph.

April and Asha shook their heads smiling and left the barn. They strolled back towards the house in companionable silence. They passed Splinter who was sitting off to one side in the back yard underneath a tree, apparently meditating.

"You gonna start breakfast for the guys?" Asha asked April as they entered the kitchen through the back door.

"Are you kidding me? Mikey would kill me. He thinks he's the master of any kitchen he comes across. He already arranged stuff, I don't even know where all the pots, pans, and utensils are." April said as she sat on the couch and opened her laptop. Asha chuckled as she made her way upstairs.

Asha wanted to do her pole exercise, but it was in the barn and she wasn't gonna do that in front of the turtles, while they maintained that man cave. So she settled for 250 reps of HIITS and called it a morning. She took a shower and had an idea. The image of Leo lifting weights had gotten to her, and she couldn't shake it. She went into the bedroom to get dressed, and then had a wicked thought. It was about time to get this show on the road.


	7. Workout Plan 2: Cool Down

**Workout Plan 2: Cool Down**

 **Rating: M** – Lemon, note the rating.

* * *

The bathroom was steamed, the towels were laid out on the bed, and everything was perfect. Downstairs she heard the ruckus they made as they came into the house. Thankfully there were two bathrooms in the house. Raph and Donnie fought over who would take a shower first, with Donnie winning on the strength that Raph is almost always filthy and could wait another thirty minutes to get clean.

Mikey came into the bathroom first, and took an absurdly long shower. Once he came out, he went downstairs to start breakfast. Asha made quick work of cleaning it up after him before Leo came up for his shower. He was surprised when he stepped into the large bathroom to find it steamed, and Asha waiting with just a large towel wrapped around her, and a seductive smile on her face.

"Hello handsome," she said sitting on the edge of the tub with her legs crossed. "Ready for your shower?"

"Uh, yeah, but I usually manage to take them by myself," he smirked. He felt a bit uneasy, but loosened the belts that held up his loincloth, allowing it to drop to the floor. Asha took in the sight of her favorite part of his body, his muscular legs, before she stood and took him by the hand. She led him into the tub, where she turned the shower on. Leo was tensed, not knowing what to expect or how he should react.

"Just relax, I don't bite….unless you want me to. Now turn around and try to relax okay?" She stepped into the shower behind him. He nodded slightly, but his shoulders were still a bit tense. She took a long handled back scrubber and lathered it. In a slow circular motion, she started to scrub his shell. From top to bottom she scrubbed it gently. When she was done, she grabbed a washcloth and turned him to face her. She was kneeling in the tub, having lathered the towel and was starting to wash him beginning with his feet and legs.

This was the oddest and most strangely erotic situation he had ever found himself in. Asha was cleaning him methodically, not missing an inch. He struggled not to churr, as he didn't want anyone to hear it. She inched her way up to where his tail was tucked. She paused as if she were waiting on him to release it, and when he didn't she looked up at him with those almond-shaped amber eyes he loved so much.

"You gonna give me your tail, or do I have to beg? I'm already practically on my hands and knees," she said with a grin. Before he had a chance to reply, she was already caressing the spot just under the lip of his carapace, where he tucked it. With a soft churr, Leo lifted his foot resting it on the edge of the tub to give her more access to his tail. His shell was tightening something awful, and he was trying his best to stay concealed. He watched her intently, as she didn't even bother with the towel. With her soapy hand, she gently rubbed over the long, thick, and sensitive appendage. He gasped when she grazed her fingers along his tail slit.

"Asha, please don't do that," he pleaded breathlessly. She smiled innocently, as she hummed to herself and moved up his plastron. He was happy and a bit let down by her complying with his wishes. A part of him wanted her to keep rubbing his tail, but he knew that this wasn't the right time. She grabbed the towel once again, washing his plastron, and standing in front of him. Her naked wet body glistened as water ran over it. He licked his lips as he stared at her, her breasts swaying slightly with the circular motion of her arms. Every once and again, she would glance up at him, eyes beaming in adoration.

She had to stand on her tip toes to reach around the top edges of his carapace, and even then it was hard to do. He gently took the towel from her hands and did it himself.

"Thank you," he said as he bent down to plant a soft kiss on her lips. "Now, it's your turn."

Gracefully settling his large bulk on the edge of the tub, he turned her back to him. Picking up another washcloth, he slowly began washing her. He wasn't familiar with how to do any of this, but decided that if he were gentle, everything else would work itself out. Her hands were splayed against the wet tiles, as she waited for him to start.

He lathered the towel and copied what she had done, started from her feet and legs. She was firm and young, and not flinching from his touch at all. In fact she was looking at him over her shoulder with half-lidded eyes and an inviting smile. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall. Leo was half massaging, and half washing her. Soon he had worked his way to her upper thighs then paused, unsure of what to do next. Should he skip this part of her body and move on? Or should he repay her little tail rubbing adventures? He decided on a little delicious payback. In a smooth motion, he grabbed her right leg and placed it over his so that she was standing on one leg, giving him access to her without restraint.

Ditching the towel as she had done, Leo took soapy fingers and caressed the folds of her womanhood. She moaned, biting her lip and looking back at him with open lust. Slowly, he concentrated on the small nub he found, and was rewarded by even louder moaning, so much so that he had to stop so she would quiet down.

"You don't want my brothers to hear you do you?" he asked silkily, resuming his efforts and capturing her eyes with his. She shook her head no, with a slight whimper that he wanted to hear more of. She seemed unsteady on her own, so he wrapped a large arm around her midsection. She had become wet with anticipation, as his finger glided over her folds. Tentatively, he inserted a finger just inside her as she sucked in a breath through her teeth and her body tensed.

"Did I hurt you?" Leo asked worried now. She shook her head no.

"No, you didn't hurt me. It's just that, well, I'm a virgin," she said almost as if she were ashamed to admit it. A huge smile spread across his face, as a sense of relief filled him.

"Why are you smiling like that?" She asked a little worried that he might actually be laughing at her.

"Nothing. It's just, I didn't peg you for a virgin that's all. I mean I figured pretty girls always had boyfriends or something. I just assumed that someone may have, I don't know, wooed you or something," he was laughing but it was dying as he could no longer read her expression.

"Not all girls are like that. My uncle was pretty strict. I've only had one boyfriend before you, and it was extremely tame. We only ever kissed a little bit. It never went further than that." She was looking at him almost as if she were waiting on a judgment of some kind. He smiled warmly at her.

"Well, I guess it's not hard to figure out I'm a virgin also, so I guess we can learn together then." She didn't respond. "Did I kill the mood?"

"No, you didn't kill it, but you did sort of put it to sleep," she said as she resumed her position over his leg.

"Well let me wake it back up then," he said as his fingers restarted their earlier explorations. She moaned as he once again made a slight push inside. She was extremely tight, but also very wet and he imagined how this would feel on the other part of his anatomy. The thought almost made him emerge. He turned her around to face him, her breasts only inches from his mouth. Hungrily, he began to suck them as his finger continued to work its way inside of her. By this time she was rolling her hips, encouraging him to explore further and he was happy to oblige.

He paused for a moment as his finger met resistance. He looked up briefly to see her grimacing but not stopping him. Cautiously he kept pushing until he felt something give way.

"Ah!" She yelped as her eyes flew open and she looked down at him. He removed his finger in a hurry, shocked to notice a little blood on it. However, when he looked back up at her face she didn't seem surprised at all. He washed his hand off, scared now to touch her again for fear of hurting her.

"You ever heard the expression 'pop the cherry'?" She asked, smiling in an attempt to calm him.

"Y-yeah, but what does that have to do with anything? Asha, I hurt you…" she placed her fingers on his lips to quiet him.

"That's what just happened. You 'popped my cherry'. Women have, hymens, essentially it's a barrier like the seal on something new. You know how you buy something at the store, and you know no one has used it because the seal is intact?" He nodded, understanding dawning on his face. "That's what you just did, you broke my seal. No one has done that before you. I'm fine, you're fine, and I want you to keep going."

He hesitated before placing his hands back on her. Very slowly, he resumed rubbing her surprised to find her still completely aroused. The smell of her sexual arousal, and the call of spring quickly laid to rest any doubt or inhibition he felt. He inserted his finger again. She was still very tight, but this time his fingers moved a little more freely. When she called his name and grabbed the back of his head, he was spurred on even more. His fingers plunged into her at record pace, as she placed one leg over his shell. His tongue worked over her breasts, and he noticed she was actually biting down on one of her hands and screaming onto it.

He stopped his efforts on her breast and looked down at what his hands were doing. He sighed in relief when he finally emerged, relieving the amazing pressure that had built up in his tail. He was only glad Asha's eyes were shut tightly so she wouldn't be scared of it.

He was grazing his thumb back and forth over the stiff little nub he'd discovered. She would roll and moan loudly whenever he did. She was shaven, something he didn't think he'd like until he saw it. Then another thought surfaced in his mind. He wondered how she tasted. He had seen it once or twice when he, Raph, and Mikey used to sneak and watch those sorts of movies. Watching them wasn't necessarily his cup of tea, but he had always wondered why the people in the movies put their mouths on each other. He never understood what was so appealing about that until now, when he had an urge to taste her. He took one hand and supported her back with it. Leo inched his face towards her, the pleasant scent of her arousal driving him half crazy. Timidly, he stuck out his tongue and gave one very quick swipe.

"Leo!" Asha almost yelled it, her voice husky with lust and surprise. She looked down at him. He was sort of smiling and seemed to be actually tasting her and wondering if he should do it again. By this time, the uncomfortable burning sensation his penetration was causing her had long been replaced by a delicious feeling.

He liked hearing his name called like that, and it wasn't at all bad or gross like he thought it would be. He gave a few more swipes of his tongue over her, and she arched her back in response. She squealed as a violent shudder went through her body.

Asha had never felt this before. It was one thing to try and touch yourself, which she wasn't a big fan of, but it was quite another to have someone else do it. Especially if that someone was a person you absolutely loved, and lusted after. She had only imagined a man putting his mouth on her in such an intimate way. She could tell he was just as foreign to it as she was, but it felt amazing and she didn't care. From deep within her a warmth spread and she couldn't contain a shudder coursing through her. She screamed into her hand, trying to muffle it as much as possible. Her hips bucked wildly of their own accord as she felt her first orgasm wrack her body. By this time Leo was moaning into her, and she felt him start to vibrate underneath her grip.

He hadn't expected to have an orgasm without being touched, but he wasn't complaining about it either. She tasted good and Leo had kind of gotten into it. He didn't quite know what he was doing, but whatever he was doing must've been right if he was judging by the orgasm he had just caused her. He never thought in a million years he would be the one causing a pretty girl to cum all over his hand, but it was happening and he could certainly get used to the feeling.

When she was strong enough to stand he rose to his feet, hugging her to himself for a while before actually washing her all the way up. She kept smiling at him adoringly, and telling him how much she loved him. He had retracted himself in time, hoping that she hadn't seen him. Her being a virgin was a good thing because he didn't have any expectations to live up to, but it also might scare her as to how they would physically match up. That could wait for another time. Right now, he reveled in the delight of sharing a shower with a beautiful woman.

They toweled off and went into the bedroom. Leo sat on the bed as he watched her put her clothes on. She was wearing a pretty sundress she had purchased on the way up here, that hugged every curve, but in an elegant way. One side of her curly afro was twisted and a flower was pinned there to hold it in place. She looked radiant as she stood between his legs and rested her hands on his shoulders.

"That was wonderful," she said as she planted tender kisses on his forehead and face.

"It was for me too, but can we take it slow from here?" He asked, not sure how she would receive the request. She looked into his sapphire eyes.

"A little, but not too slowly. I want you, all of you, before we leave this farmhouse. I want you while we are at peace and with no distractions," she answered honestly. He smiled brilliantly.

"I promise you will have me Asha," he said as he stood and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Okay, now let's get downstairs before they send a search party," she said as they both chuckled lightly and headed down to eat breakfast.


	8. A House Divided

**A House Divided - Centers around the Foot Clan after 'Enter the Purple Dragon' epilogue**

 **Rating: K**

(The Japanese term 'kyodaina kame' translates into giant turtle.)

* * *

The ten members of the council sat around the large chabudai. They sat quietly, the mood somber, and the atmosphere pregnant with anxiety over the conversation to come. A few days before, two women violently entered the very headquarters of the once venerable Foot Clan, tossed the severed head of their former leader the Shredder, and demanded their allegiance. All of them had pledged it, if for no other reason than to spare their lives for a few more moments.

A grey haired master, regal in his appearance and dressed in traditional Japanese clothing waited until everyone gave him their undivided attention. Finally he spoke.

"Welcome, my brothers. You have honored me with your presence today at my home," he said as the others nodded and murmured their responses.

"Recently, we have had a new development, one that requires our collective wisdom and knowledge to navigate. We were notified, in the most undignified manner that Oroku Saki was killed. We were also notified that it was his elite guard that committed the crime, and presented the evidence to us while lacking all grace and honor," he looked around and one of the men caught his attention. He had his eyes casted down, a look of concern on his face.

"It is not a good thing to speak this way. Our new masters-," many of the men scoffed at his use of the title. He waited until the grey-haired master settled them once more. "Our new masters have taken control of the foot. They have killed Oroku Saki, and have rightfully taken his place."

"What of Karai? Was she not his ward? Was she not next in line to lead the clan?!" Another man said, causing the group to erupt in agreement. The old man spoke again.

"Karai is no more. Our sources tell us that she was killed by a kyodaina kame," he said sitting back and taking a sip of his tea. He seemed to be considering the implications of that report.

"Can this even be believed?" scoffed another of the council elders. "It is nothing more than a fantasy! How could there be such a monster, and even if such a thing existed, how and why would it attack the foot?" The elders spoke among themselves, some hearing this for the first time and not believing.

"No. Some of us were aware of some of the more…peculiar practices of our former master Shredder," the grey elder said. Motioning towards another member he continued, "Nobu was privy to one such incident. Tell us Nobu, what did you see?"

"Hai Tanaka-san. Master Shredder had me to attend a very strange meeting, little more than a year ago. In this meeting plans were made to help the Foot Clan to gain more of a hold in the New York region. This in itself was not strange. However, these plans were being made in collusion with a…rather disgusting creature." Nobu took a quick sip of his tea, and patted the sweat from his head with a handkerchief. "This, thing, was very large and was very much similar in appearance to a human brain." The elders gave out a collective gasp. Most in shock and horror, others in disbelief. Tanaka-san motioned Nobu to continue.

"There was talk then of a substance, something called mutagen. It seemed to me that this creature was in control of that substance, and Shredder wanted it very much. In return for it, Shredder made one of his secret bunkers a headquarters for the creatures. They spoke of an invasion. An invasion of the Earth." Nobu finished the last of his tea in one gulp, and set the cup down heavily upon the table. Only silence filled the space as everyone contemplated his account of events.

"We cannot allow this invasion. If Nobu's report is true, then Shredder has left us with a large problem on our hands." This elder turned towards Tanaka beseechingly. "We must stop it from happening. If Setsuko knows about it, or agrees to this she cannot be allowed to lead the Foot Clan to its own destruction."

"Perhaps these beings are not bent on destruction of our world. Perhaps, they do not intend to kill us," Tanaka said, although he was unconvinced of the words as they passed his lips.

"Whenever the Foot Clan seized a territory, did we ever leave its occupants in control? Or even alive for that matter?" Nobu said softly to Tanaka-san. "Please, do not be foolish." Tanaka-san nodded reluctantly before he went on.

"What of these women who dare to take hold of the clan? Are we in solidarity over their leadership or should they be overthrown?" Tanaka asked of the group. No one said anything although all eyes shifted towards him.

"No, I am too old to lead the clan now. I lost my place to Oroku Saki all those years ago. It would be dishonorable of me to usurp this position." Tanaka-san waited a moment before he spoke again. "I believe we should exercise patience. If this, Setsuko proves herself a good leader we will follow, but we will keep watch. If she proves no better than Oroku Saki, or even worse than him, we will depose her and her sister. I propose that Satoru-san lead the clan in that instance," Tanaka said gesturing towards a younger looking man who seemed to be no older than his early forties. Satoru seemed surprised to be chosen, but pleased nonetheless.

"He is the youngest among us, and has proven his loyalty to the Foot a hundred times over. He is young enough to act, old enough to exercise wisdom, and I believe he would not fail us as a leader." Everyone seemed to agree except for one.

The council member who had already began using the title of master in reference to Setsuko was not pleased. Akira was his name and he would curry favor with the new masters no matter what the council decided in their foolishness.

"One last thing no one spoke about," Nobu said. "What of Oroku Saki's other ward, Eric Sacks? How is the clan to regard him?" Once again the men spoke in hushed tones among themselves.

"He will maintain an honorary position out of respect for having been here so long. However, Mr. Sacks is a businessman and he should remain so. He will not have leadership in this clan. He was a ward only, not true-born Japanese." Tanaka's tone was one of finality on the matter. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

After another round of tea, a few cakes, and more lighthearted conversation, Tanaka-san ended the meeting and saw them all politely to the door. Everyone headed presumably to their own homes, but Akira headed towards the headquarters of the Foot. He smiled to himself. Yes, he would be the one to gain the good graces of both Setsuko and her sister Kazuko.


	9. Captive Heart

**Captive Heart** – 6th in the Leo x Asha series. Set after Workout Plan 1  & 2

 **Rating: M** – Sort of lemony. Not quite M but too much for T

* * *

Asha stretched and sat up in bed. The morning sunlight filtered into the bedroom through the sheer curtains. To her left was Leonardo, still asleep. It was a rare thing indeed that he had not risen with the dawn, a testament to how relaxed this vacation had made him. He lay on his side, mask and all clothing off, and his tail unfurled and wagging lazily in his sleep. This was the perfect opportunity to try something that April told her about. She told her that their private parts came out of their tails, and Asha just had to see for herself. That day in the shower was wonderful, but she had only gotten a short glimpse before it was gone.

She got up and went to the bathroom to freshen herself, washing her face and brushing her teeth. She could hear the sound of April's high pitched but hushed laughter, and figured her and Mikey were up to a little hanky panky themselves. She went back into the bedroom to find Leo still sprawled out on the bed.

Asha peeked around his shell to see if he were really asleep or just lying there. When she was satisfied that he was indeed out of it, she crawled into bed behind him and gently stroked the back of his tail. It stiffened, and she stopped but nothing happened. Asha continued this time stroking the tail slit, very gently. Leo adjusted himself until he was on his carapace, legs spread a bit. His breathing became heavier as he began to churr in his sleep. Like the day in the shower, she found the sound both endearing and sexy. It was like a deep, low rumble that emanated from his chest and she thought it quite manly.

To allow herself more access and a better view, Asha laid on her stomach between his legs. Then another idea struck her. In the shower he had licked her and it was awesome. She wondered if he would also enjoy something like that, but as she looked at his body she didn't quite know how to proceed. She inched her face forward getting closer to his tail slit. It seemed almost moist and his tail was very stiff. Tentatively she darted her tongue out and swiped across him. Nothing. A bit disappointed but no less determined to get a reaction she swiped again, this time not so timidly. She let her tongue linger on the spot, surprised that he didn't taste too bad. He was a bit salty, but nothing out of the ordinary whatever the ordinary was for this kind of thing. Leo churred loudly this time, his eyes popping open and then he propped himself up on his elbows. He frowned, obviously not quite coherent, and seemed to be trying to figure out if this was a dream or what. When Asha kissed his tail and then gave it a longer lick, he realized without doubt that it was no dream at all.

In one motion that Asha didn't have time to react to, Leonardo reached down and grabbed her by her shoulders, turned and then pinned her face down to the bed underneath him. A sort of growl emanated from his throat as she felt some of his weight on her back. He was biting her neck, holding her in place and was panting heavily. Clad in only a lacy push up bra and boy shorts, Asha almost instinctively raised her butt to come into contact with his lower plastron, and also something else. Leo had emerged. Asha was nervous but ready, her body and base nature responding to Leo's rough treatment. This was how cats of almost all breeds mated. It was aggressive, assertive, and the females gave themselves to their alphas without question. Asha growled low in her throat in anticipation of what she assumed would happen, but a few moments passed. Leo's breathing, at first heavy and almost ragged was evening out and becoming normal. She had felt his erection at first also, but then nothing. Slowly he got off of her, kissing the back of her neck though before completely getting up. He had left a somewhat noticeable bite mark there.

She felt the weight of him on the bed as it shifted. Leo sat on the edge of the bed. Asha, confused and feeling some type of way, just kept laying there face down for a bit before also sitting up. Leo had his head in his hands massaging his temples. His muscles were bunched up and tense, and when Asha reached to soothe him he flinched away from her touch.

"So, what the hell is going on Leo? I don't understand what happened," she asked, still confused but it was giving away to anger quickly. He needed to explain the last two minutes of interaction. He looked up at her, noting the tone in her voice. It was hurt feelings and anger. Raph used that tone when they had really bad arguments, and hurled low-blow insults at each other. It was eerie how much she reminded Leo of his temperamental brother.

"You can't sneak attack me like that. Not at this time you can't," he said. She waited but he offered nothing more than that. He placed his head back in his hands.

"Why not?" she was speaking in clipped tones now.

"I've never really had to explain this to anyone, but it's spring time. I'm…I'm in season. Mating season, okay?" He said exasperated already, the well of his legendary patience already running dry.

"I know that already, idiot. Why do you think I'm trying to get you to sleep with me?" Asha ground out through gritted teeth. Getting a man to sleep with you should never be this hard. Something about this scenario gnawed at her deep in her gut. She shouldn't ignore it, but she pushed it aside anyway. He looked at her with a slightly stunned expression on his face. Of course she would know. If nothing else, April would have told her that. He hadn't thought they were close enough to have those kinds of conversations, but apparently they were.

Leo sighed heavily, "Well what you may not know is, it puts me on edge. I get very….irritable and aggressive as you just witnessed." Tension left his body as he face once more took on his customary calm look. "I apologize about that by the way. I shouldn't have been so rough with you."

Asha smiled a little and scooted next to him. Then she positioned herself behind him, kneeling on the bed and massaging his massive shoulders.

"I liked that," she cooed in his ear, then placed a series of kisses down the side of his face and neck. He patted her hand gently, both acknowledging her act of kindness and stopping her from doing it. He stood up and started to make his way out to go to the bathroom.

"Why?" A simple question with a not so simple answer. He stopped but did not turn to face her.

"Why are we going through this again? If this is mating season, and I'm willing to be your mate, why is it so difficult for you to have sex with me? Why is it so hard for you to love me?"

There it was. Like a two ton anvil had been dropped from the Empire State building and landed squarely on his shoulders. It was a question he pretended to wrestle with. He had tried to love Asha, and to some extent he did, but he couldn't stop. He couldn't stop thinking of Karai, and it was crazy as hell because Karai was dead, but yet the feelings he harbored for her never left him. They haunted him, and held him captive, and had even managed to poison what would have otherwise been a wonderful relationship with a young woman whom he could find no faults in as far as being a girlfriend was concerned. However, Leonardo was no coward. As much as it pained him, as much as he knew it would pain her, he faced her.

She was standing there, waiting. Always waiting patiently for him to get his head out of his ass, waiting for an answer, waiting for his approval, waiting for his love, and he had kept her waiting. He swallowed thickly. He would meet this challenge head on like he did all others, and hoped that the truth would set them both free. She was patient. He knew that if he smiled and reached for her, all would be okay, the last few minutes forgotten. If he kissed her she would melt, if he touched her she would allow him to do as he pleased, and that was more of a burden on him than he allowed himself to admit and realize before this moment. She offered herself to him with a wholeness and a purity that he did not believe he would ever experience in his lifetime. This should have been easy, but it was anything but. He walked towards her and grabbed her shoulders again, this time very gently and looked into those amber eyes of hers. This would have been, could have been, should have been one of the best things to happen to him in his life, but it was bittersweet. She deserved more than his halfhearted effort when she was giving him all of her, unbridled and unfiltered.

 _Donatello._

Yes, Donatello would and could give her what she deserved. Suddenly, Leonardo felt a pang of jealousy and possessiveness at the thought, and it was then that he knew he needed to do this now or never.

"Asha, I can't….I can't do this," he almost whispered to her. Asha looked up at him, blinking slowly as if just waking up from a deep sleep.

"What can't you do? Just say it and have done with it Leonardo," Asha said. It felt as if the words were not coming from her, but from some person perhaps distantly related to her. Maybe some person in another reality was speaking on her behalf.

"I can't be with you Asha. I wanted to, but I just can't give you what you need from this relationship." He spoke softly. He tried to cup her chin, but she snatched her head away from his grip. He dropped it back to her shoulder. Asha looked him in the eyes once more before turning away. He naively hadn't expected her next question, which is why it hit him like an eighteen wheeler.

"There is another woman isn't there?" It should have been a stupid accusation given that she was speaking to a mutated giant turtle, whom no one but a select few humans even knew existed, and who certainly wasn't playing the field, but somehow it didn't feel stupid to her at all.

"No." Simple. Plain. True. There was no other tangible, live woman that was taking her place. Asha gave an almost imperceptible nod, squirmed out of his loosened grip and headed for the bedroom door. The sight of her slumped shoulders and the way the sparkle left her eyes, made his heart break. He hated, absolutely hated hurting those whom he loved, whom he counted among his family. It was his love for her that made him do what he did, but there was no way to explain that without sounding like a complete asshole.

Time passed him by. He hadn't moved a muscle for at least ten minutes or more. He was in a daze, wondering if he had done the right thing, the good thing, the fair thing. He imagined that he had, but how could hurting someone you cared about be good? He didn't know the answer. One foot moved like lead and landed in front of his other as he started to move. He stopped short at the door. His face was wet with tears that he didn't even know he had been shedding. He wiped them with the back of his hands and tried to make himself presentable. He felt unburdened now, but also ashamed of that very feeling. He wasn't ready for his family to know he had broken up with Asha, and possibly broken her heart also. He walked into the empty hall. The bathroom was only a few feet away. He moved towards it. He hoped he could make it in there, before anyone saw him. He only felt secure when the door was shut and locked behind him. In the shower, he couldn't tell if he was crying or not, and that was just as well.


	10. The Daywatcher

**The Daywatcher – 7th in the Leo x Asha series following Captive Heart**

 **Rating: K**

* * *

Solitude. Blessed Solitude. He hated meditating, but had to admit that the quiet of this place did something for him that sitting in the dojo did not. Raphael had discovered an old swinging tire in one of the large trees near the pond that he wanted to investigate. He walked out to the tree, grateful not to have been followed by Mikey or pestered by Leo. Both of them having girlfriends was irritating as hell, but also had its perks. Birds chirped in the trees, flying back and forth occasionally swooping perhaps to pluck a bug or worm from the ground below.

When he reached the swinging tire he was pleased to discover it was very large, like it may have belonged to a truck or something. It might even be big enough…. He eased his large frame onto it carefully just in case it didn't support his weight. The branch seemed pretty thick and strong but still. There, it was perfect. His shell fit perfectly into the hollow space of the tire. Goodness he hadn't been able to do this since he was a small turtle in the lair. Cautiously, he moved his legs a little causing him to swing just a tad bit. It reminded him of his hammock at home and he instantly relaxed, legs and arms dangling carelessly. Then he heard footsteps approach, and they were coming fast. Whoever it was, was running and unfortunately they were running in his direction. Dammit. Was there ever a time he could be left alone? Raph craned his neck to see who it was, ready to verbally rip them a new one. He saw it was Asha. She was running and stopped a ways down the small beach. She didn't seem to notice him. Asha always made it a point to speak to and acknowledge Raphael, but this time she was oblivious.

Raph reached his hand out to touch the tree trunk and stop himself from swinging. The tire didn't creek or make noise, but he didn't wanna chance it. From the short distance he could see she had on headphones. She was crouched down, hugging her arms around her knees and rocking on the balls of her feet. Her shoulders were hitching rhythmically, and at first he didn't know what to think until it dawned on him she was crying. Raph eased himself up. If she were crying shouldn't Leo be out here to comfort her? He had gotten all the way up and was facing towards the house when it clicked. She may have been crying _because_ of Leo. Maybe they had a fight or something. He hesitated not knowing if he should simply leave the area, go get someone else, or heaven forbid go over there and try to comfort her himself. Raphael heard the clang of dishes coming from the kitchen in the distance. He heard the high pitch of April's laughter, and the pure joy of Mikey's. He turned back and looked at Asha, who was still crying and still unaware of his presence.

Finally, having come to a decision on what to do, he climbed back into the tire swing. Asha needed alone time obviously, and he was going to let her get it even if he wasn't going to get any himself. He sat quietly watching her and wondering what could have set her off. She was sobbing, wailing almost and he was surprised no one heard or came out to see what was going on. Even if they had come out, he was going to send them back the way they came or else. He knew that when he was very upset he needed to be left alone, and it hadn't escaped his notice that Asha behaved in a similar fashion.

A flash of anger hit him. If Leo was up to shenanigans again with this girl, Raph was gonna read him the riot act. Furthermore, if that were the case, he would advise Asha to break up with Leo. Maybe it wasn't his business or whatever, but playing with people was unlike Leo to do and Raph wasn't gonna watch him start now. It wasn't like they could just go out and get girlfriends, and it seemed like Leo was taking this opportunity purely for granted, and the thought of that just really got under Raph's shell.

Slowly, Asha's shoulders stopped moving. She remained in the same position rocking back and forth. He saw her wipe her face as she sniffled a little bit. She stood up and stretched, taking her headphones off to readjust them and then April was calling her name from the kitchen. Breakfast was ready. Asha's head snapped towards the sound, still unaware that Raphael sat a few yards away from her. Yeah, she was really not at herself. Asha was never this unmindful of her surroundings. He heard her clear her throat and yell that she was coming before trying to straighten her shoulders and make as if she had not been upset. Raph made not a sound, as he watched her trudge back up the little walkway to the house. Once she rounded the corner he let out a little sigh. Damn, that was deep. From her behavior he guessed she didn't want anyone to know she was crying. That was fine. Raphael was good at keeping secrets. He remained in the swing a few moments more before he heard his own name called. He didn't bother responding, just got up and headed for breakfast. He would try very hard not to make it awkward.


	11. Breakfast and The Long Ride Home

**Breakfast and The Long Ride Home –** Vacation is wrapping up. The family gathers and then heads home.

 **Rating: K**

* * *

The hash browns, the potatoes, the eggs, and the turkey bacon looked delicious. It was all cooked perfectly, but it all tasted like ashes in her mouth. Asha sat back and twirled her fork in the eggs, only picking up the minutest pieces and placing them in her mouth. She chewed just to say she had done it, before allowing the tasteless food to slide down her throat.

Master Splinter sat at the head of the table where April's father used to always sit. Mikey was to his right, Asha to his left, April right next to Mikey, Raph positioned himself purposely next to Asha, Donnie next to him and Leo at the other end of the table. Raphael didn't know what was going on, but whatever it was he figured Asha didn't need Leo hovering, or Donnie for that matter, since he suspected him of harboring feelings for Asha. No, she didn't need that kind of pressure especially not at the table.

Mikey kicked Asha underneath the table, and when she looked up he was smiling brightly at her. She couldn't help but reciprocate even if it was barely visible. It wasn't his fault how she was feeling right now.

"Are the hash browns okay? I know you like 'em crispy," Mikey said trying to make light conversation. She nodded, then not believing that was good enough she forced herself to speak.

"It's good as usual Mikey. Hash browns are perfection," she said trying her best casual, don't-mind-me-I'm-crumbling-inside-but-determined-to-hide-it-from-you voice. He smiled even more before trailing off to tease Donnie about a lack of pop tart icing for breakfast. Asha was grateful he hadn't continued trying to talk to her. She was determined not to break the general jovial mood and good spirits. She was also determined not to take her anger and hurt out on the rest of the brothers, Splinter, or April. None of this was their fault and it simply would not be fair of her to burden others with her feelings. Asha didn't trust her voice, and was being extra conscious of the faces she was making. She was aware that she often wore her feelings like a neon sign, but she didn't want anyone asking if she was okay.

The rest of the day was spent with everyone gathering their things and packing up the Shell Raiser. Donnie went around the entire house, barn, garage, and outside area with a checklist to make sure no one left anything behind. It was all Asha could do to try to maintain some amount of normal interaction. Just once or twice one of them would ask if she was alright in passing, and she would nod and try a smile just to play it off. A few times she ended up in the bedroom she shared with Leo while he was in the room. He wouldn't even look at her. He wouldn't speak to her, and on some level his complete avoidance of her hurt worse than the actual breakup. It was as if she no longer existed. To be fair, she didn't know how either of them were supposed to act now. How do you act around your ex whom you still want, but who has told you they don't want you? Asha didn't know how to feel. She was lost in a sea of strong but unnamable emotional currents, and she had no idea how to handle them. Honestly, Leonardo was even more lost as to what to do. Having been in his first ever relationship and now his first breakup, he was more than a little perplexed at what his next move should be. There was no tactical plan or strategy that would help him with this. He wanted to say something, anything, but he was afraid it would be wrong or she would explode at him. In a way he wished she would explode, then he could gauge how she was really feeling, but her silence unnerved him a great deal.

Finally everything was packed up. April and Donnie took front seats since they were handling the driving. They started out at night so that it wouldn't be so obvious that there was a van full of mutants riding down the highway. Once again Raphael made a point to position himself next to Asha so that Leo couldn't be. Raph was glad Donnie was up front with April. He didn't feel that Donnie posed a threat per se, but he didn't want his younger brother getting any ideas in that genius brain of his. Raph knew if whatever was going on between Leo and Asha kept up, it wouldn't take brainiac long to figure it out at all. For once in his life, Raph was glad to have Mikey back there with them.

Mikey was the perfect tension reliever with his obnoxious behavior and crazy antics. If he hadn't been there, Raph and Leo may well have gotten into an argument over this. Even though he felt it wasn't really his business to interfere, Raphael was also the only one to witness Asha's break by the pond. He couldn't get the mournful sound of her sobbing out of his head. It sounded so broken, so lonely, and so hurt that had he been a lesser turtle he would have cried with her. The worst part was that everyone seemed or pretended not to notice her sudden shift in mood. Yeah, he knew Asha could be at times quiet or even brooding, but it was different today. All vacation long she had been happy and upbeat, even going so far as to help Mikey play a prank on him. It was for this reason that Raphael kept eyeballing Leo in the backseat. Of all of them, it should be Leo that noticed her mood first and done something about it. Raph could see something in Leo's eyes as well. Hurt perhaps or possibly guilt over something, and Raph couldn't understand why Leo would not simply address it or try to correct it. Lord knows whenever they argued or fought Fearless _never_ dropped the subject until either it was resolved, they came to blows, or Raph left out of the lair. No, there was something deeper than a lover's spat going on here, and he was going to figure out what.

The ride home was long and mostly everyone was in good spirits. Mikey was making everyone either cringe, laugh at, or dance with his music choices. He landed on a channel that played only 80s rock music, and surprisingly knew a lot of the songs that were played line for line.

After so many hours Donnie had taken over driving while April rode shotgun. Asha had gone into a fitful sleep, Splinter had slept almost the entire ride, and Leo was busy looking out of the dark back windows of the van into the night rolling away behind them. Raphael didn't sleep. He had grabbed a throw and placed it on Asha as she used his shoulder as a pillow. It couldn't have been comfortable as he wasn't exactly cuddly, but he let her rest anyway. His mind turned back to the image and sound of her crying, and he shook his head to clear it away. What happened that made her react like _that_? Whatever Leo may have said or done, he was sure Asha would forgive it. After all, she had forgiven him of striking her without any preamble or reservation or throwing it in his face later. That act above all others solidified her as his sister in his mind and heart. For this reason he felt it his duty to protect her even from Leo. Raph would have bet his very life that Leo had not physically harmed her, so whatever happened Leo should just fix it. Unless of course it could not be fixed. Realization crept over Raphael's mind. Leonardo, the one who had confided in Raph on so many occasions about being lonely, and finding love. Together they had made a pact that if either of them ever found a woman to love them for who they were, they would never let them go. Raphael recalled that night vividly in his mind's eye.

A twelve year old Raph tossed and turned in his sleep, unable to rest. It had been a difficult day of training for all of them. Sensei had demanded them to all switch weapons, as they had become too dependent on the one's they were mastering. He was trying to teach them about teamwork and adaptability, but for Raphael it had only been humiliation. He could not for the life of him wield Leo's swords even half as good as Leo himself. He took only small pleasure in the fact that Leo had just as hard a time dealing with Donnie's bo staff. The clumsy way he had handled the katanas and had almost cut Mikey in the process played over and over in his mind.

Turning over on his shell for the thousandth time, Raph finally decided to get up and maybe get something to eat or perhaps a drink of water. He crept out of his room not wanting to wake any of his brothers and especially not his dad. He'd made it all the way to the kitchen when he heard what sounded like soft crying. He stopped, listening hard like sensei said that ninjas could do. He was holding the glass of water, but hadn't had an opportunity to take even a sip. The soft crying continued. Slowly and quietly he made his way towards the sound. It was coming from just outside the lair, past the turnstiles even. Raphael stopped, apprehensive about leaving the lair without the knowledge of his brothers or sensei. For all his big talk about leaving them behind and going on his own, now that he had a chance he was scared. What if this were some kind of enemy they didn't know about? What if it was a trick of some sort? Briefly he thought maybe the little squirt was playing another prank on him, but he dismissed that thought. Mikey slept like the dead and would never wake up just to play a trick, at least Raph thought he wouldn't do that. You never knew for sure with Mikey. Raphael let out a breath and made his way over the turnstiles. He moved towards the sound, trying to be ready for anything when his foot splashed, just a little bit in a small puddle of water. The sound stopped, and so did Raphael. A long minute passed before Raph thought it okay to move again, cursing the puddle and determined not to make another sound. He rounded a corner to find moonlight streaming through a grate and his older brother Leonardo sitting in the shaft of light. His knees were drawn up to his plastron, arms linked around them, mask off, and face wet with tears.

Leo tried in vain to wipe the tears away before Raph could see and tease him about it, but to his utter surprise Raphael didn't laugh. He sat down next to Leo and placed an arm around him the way he did when they were upset.

"What's wrong Leo? What's the matta?" Raph asked softly.

"It's nothing Raph, you should go back to bed before sensei catches you," Leo said, trying to put his leader voice on and failing badly.

"Well, if he catches me then he's gonna catch you too, cause I ain't goin' back ta bed. Now tell me what's the matta wit' you?" Raph waited. Leo, seeing that Raph wasn't going anywhere relaxed his shoulders and actually leaned into Raph a bit. He seemed to be deciding whether or not to tell Raph what was happening. He eventually looked up at the sewer grate, the moonlight capturing the blue of his eyes even in this dimly lit tunnel.

"I had a dream," Leo said then waited on Raph to laugh at him. He didn't.

"Like, a monster dream or sumthin'? Raph asked, not believing that his older brother could be shaken this badly by a dream. His brother was strong and brave, even though Raph would not admit that to Leo's face.

"No. It wasn't like a bad dream like that. It was just….a dream about something that's never gonna happen. At least not for me it won't," Leo said dropping his head onto his knees. Raphael didn't understand. If the dream wasn't about a monster, but it also wasn't gonna come true and Leo knew that, then why was he so torn up about it?

"So, what was it about then?" Raph waited for his answer. Leo let out a long sigh.

"It's stupid."

"Yeah, it was so stupid ya out here cryin' about it. Just spill the beans."

"I dreamed about a girl," Leo said. Raph's brow ridge raised high. This oughta be a good one.

"I dreamed a girl liked me because I saved her life. Then we were going out on dates and stuff. Even dad was okay with it. Then there was another girl showed up, I don't know how, and she liked you. We were happy and everything just like in those movies that Mikey and Donnie sometimes find. We kissed and everything and the girls didn't care we were turtles or anything." Leo let out a long sigh. Raph was slightly amused.

"Leo that was a good dream in my book man. Two chicks diggin' on us? That's golden, why would you be upset about that?" Raph still did not understand why Leo would be stressed out over dreaming about girls. As far as he was concerned it was as close as they were gonna get to the real thing, so they might as well enjoy….. That was it wasn't it? This was why Leo was upset. It was a dream and it would only ever be a dream. Nothing more. Raphael felt the reality close around him. Suddenly he was angry. Angry at his mutation, angry that he looked the way he did, the way they all did, angry that he and his family would never be accepted as normal. No one, certainly no woman would ever look upon them with anything but fear and disgust and contempt. He looked Leo in his eyes and saw the same sentiment. Raphael hugged his brother. They had been hugging less and less as they got older, and as they started not seeing eye-to-eye on things, but they loved each other fiercely. Now more than ever Raph realized they had nothing to depend on but each other, no matter how much they argue and fight. He decided to make a vow with Leo.

"I know we fight and stuff all the time, but we gotta stick together like master Splinter always says. I always got your shell, and I know you always got my shell right Leo?" Leonardo nodded emphatically. "That means we gotta watch out for Donnie and Mikey, especially Mikey cause he's a stupid numbnuts," Raph cracked a smile and Leo nudged him playfully.

"Anyway, we gotta stick together. You never know Fearless, some girl out there might be crazy enough, or ugly enough to think we're cute. If it ever happens, we gotta make sure to never let 'em go and treat 'em good too, okay?" Raph told, not really believing it himself, but it seemed to make Leo feel better. He smiled a bit at least. They got up and stretched and then headed back to the lair quietly. They hopped over the turnstiles, certain they were still the only two up. Before Leo went back to his room he turned to Raph, blushing a little.

"Don't tell anybody, ya know, about my dream and stuff," Leo asked sheepishly. Raph nodded.

"No problem Fearless, but you gotta promise you won't tell anybody I hugged you. I got a reputation ta keep up," Raph and Leo chuckled at that.

"Thanks Raph, for…..you know," Leo said before turning around.

"Don't mention it," Raph said as they made their way to their rooms.

Raphael had forgotten about that until the day they'd met April. Then the thought of women liking them went from something only in their dreams, to a possible reality. Now, Leo had gone back on their promise to each other. Sure it was a promise made on a whim and between children, but that was before it was real. Leonardo had let Asha go. There was no way there was another girl, or Raph would have known about that. He couldn't understand what would make Leo turn away from having the thing he yearned for, for so many years. Whatever it was, it was big. Leo did not make serious decisions lightly. Raph thought it would come to light eventually. Little did he realize the reason would be waiting for them in their home.


End file.
